1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the generation of navigational charts, and particularly to a method and system for generating a database correlatable navigational chart from a visual database which defines the terrain and cultural features of a simulated environment.
2. Description of Related Art
Flight simulation has proved to be an effective method for crew and mission training. An integral component of flight simulation is the out-of-the-window visual scene. The creation of such a visual database typically begins with real-world source data that has been derived from satellite imagery, U.S. Geological Survey information or a mapping agency. However, in order to comply with visual system requirements, changes to this data is generally made during database production. In this regard, it should be appreciated that the training crew needs to be presented with as many different situations as possible, and these situations may be introduced through a non-real-world or customized visual database which is tailormade for the desired training exercise. Accordingly, it is often necessary to add features to the visual database that do not appear in the real-world area being simulated.
As a result of the process of editing or filtering the visual database, it is no longer an exact representation of the original source data. However, mission planning and navigation with real-world charts in a simulated world can be quite cumbersome. Additionally, in the case of a customized visual database, no real-world charts exist. In order for the crew to plan their best route, and any possible alternatives, an accurate representation of that visual database is necessary. Accordingly, there is a need for a technique for generating database correlatable charts that are an exact depiction of the database.